It’s that time of year again when New York City is bustling in preparation for the most illustrious event in the city for both fashion enthusiasts and business people alike –  New York Fashion Week (NYFW). We’re all looking forward to see what designers spent months preparing to showcase – often under the harsh criticisms of media powerhouses – as well as bask in the sometimes symbolic creativity they offer up to the masses. For us the excitement is in the show. However for them, the most important part of this showcase at NYFW is to ensure they’re able to move pieces off the racks every season. No pressure at all. And with the emergence of the “see now, shop/buy now” model being adopted by many designers, you no longer have to wait an entire six months to purchase in stores what you see on the runways. Exciting for consumers, but tighter timelines for bigger fashion houses. Nevertheless, there are many reasons adopting this new model works for all those involved. Consumers are rethinking how they buy clothing,  so of course how fashion week is received by the public on the social media trendosphere  is an integral component to the industry’s success.

After much complaints from  designers, retailers and now consumers,  the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) heeded the noise, conducted relevant studies last year, and unanimously came to the conclusion that the new in-season (see now, buy now) model is better suited to the changing landscape of the industry. This strategy is more closely aligned with retail deliveries and helps curb the fast fashion companies from copy designers’ collections. Burberry was one of the earlier brands to do in-season shows last February and September setting the pace for others to follow. In September 2016, we saw a few designers such as Tory Burch, Proenza Schouler, and Ralph Lauren also putting their hats in the ring and emerging with amazing reviews. To cement the new change in the system, the NYFW website no longer title’s the fashion week shows by season, so this fashion week instead of Fall/Winter 2017,  we are instead greeted with the much more appropriate February 2017 Collections to match the in-season relevancy of shows.

Now let’s welcome the February Collections with the fanfare it deserves and view our favorite designers showcasing collections more suitable for this season. This means it’s time to get ready to revamp your wardrobes for Spring 2017, since we all understand refreshing your wardrobe is an important part of dressing well. Check out the NYFW schedule below to see when your favorite designer is showing:

And for those interested in the antics of Kanye West this season, he is not on the official NYFW schedule as he did not go through the appropriate channels. Kudos to CFDA!